My Home Cafe in Mogobane Just a dash out of Gabz lights
Two months ago, Pinkie Nage took her love for cooking to new heights. Nage has always loved cooking, and has been a caterer for as long as she can remember. Like some people, Covid- 19 displaced her but instead of wallowing in self- pity, she returned to her roots, to the one place where she finds solace, which is the kitchen. Today, Nage is running a very innovative concept in her home village of Mogobane.
The place happens to be My Home Café Restaurant. The location of the restaurant itself is something of a dream for many who are seeking a time away from the bustling city lights, and the endless sound that comes with residing in the city. Pristine and offering those who wish for a more serene atmosphere, the river banks of the village dam which at this particular time of the year is filled to capacity is breath takingly calming. The environment itself has so much to offer for those who wish for a much needed breather from town. Even more spectacular is how it is conveniently located on the main road, which makes it easily accessible to those who use public transport and private cars.
Something that makes the restaurant unique is the fact that guests are served the same high quality standard of food that they can enjoy at any upmarket restaurant in the city.
Style caught up with Nage on Monday afternoon, and she shares that her new business has a lot of potential. Currently, they are only open on weekends from noon to evening. Funny enough, she has gotten enquiries of why her niche was not traditional food, but she shares that she wants to offer clients the same fine dining experience that they can get in other places of business.
For the maiden visit of Style to My Home Café, she has prepared a Curry, Rice and a Green Salad.
As someone who loves Chilli, she understands that not everyone loves Chilli. So she serves chilli on the side for guests, which is all the more a welcome development particularly for this reporter who does not have an appetite for spicy food. The Curry, left over from the previous day, she tells Style, tastes better the day after. And we agree with her that she is spot on with this declaration. It is not overly spicy, and with spices/ herbs such as Bay leafs, it is not difficult to see why many keep coming back for the curry. It is just perfect, and goes down well with the chosen starch of rice.
The salad adds a beautiful touch to the whole plate.
Moving away from the curry, she shares how she recently hosted a Vegetarian. For this particular guest, herself and the Chef served the client with the famous My home Burger, only this time they substituted the meat with Black Eyed beans. And it turned out that the guest loved this dish so much that they are ready to come back and enjoy another serving of one of the many array of servings on the menu.
Interestingly, she has been a caterer on and off for years. But notes that this time around, she was sticking around to see her business grow and craft a niche in the hospitality industry.
“I want my guests to experience my food and the beauty of Mogobane,” she explains.
Adding on to the food excursion, part of taking a trip to Mogobane, she shares that she has partnered with other local businesses to offer experiences that include picnics, boat rides, horseback rides, cart rides, walks/ hikes in and surrounding villages. She is also eyeing corporate companies to offer them staff retreats.
She is working on a brilliant concept for June 10th, that will showcase the beauty of Mogobane and surround areas. The event happens to be a walk to Segorong springs ( located near Otse). History has it that the springs came about following an exploration to mine manganese in the area, but that plan never materialized as water disturbed those plans. It is that very same water that has formed beautiful springs, and hikers will have a rare chance to experience their beauty.
“The scenic view of the place, paired with scrumptious food is perfect,” she explains.
Right now, she notes that her clients mainly come from Gaborone, and surroundings. But opening the restaurant, she says, has opened up locals to the possibility of dressing up and going out to grab a bite.
Interestingly, she also has her own range of sauces and condiments under the My Home Café brand. These include homemade chilli sauces, chutneys, curry sauces, Coriander pesto and sun dried tomatoes. “They sustained me through Covid- 19, emotionally,” she explains. For now, clients can buy these products directly from her, and is looking to export them outside the country.
On top of these, she also offers her clients with the luxury of buying prepared food items of choice including bottled Curries to mention a few. “People keep asking us what we use on our famous curry. The truth is that our sauces give our food that unique flavour,” says Nage.
While she is running the restaurant, with a small staff, she is also continuing to cater for weddings and corporate companies.